Schooled in Magic Wiki:Attribution
is an encyclopedia, not a publisher of original thought. The threshold for inclusion on this wiki is whether material is attributable to a reliable published source, not whether it is true. Overview is not the place to publish your opinions, experiences, or arguments. Although everything on this wiki must be attributable, in practice not all material is attributed. Editors should provide attribution for quotations and for any material that is challenged or likely to be challenged, or it may be removed. The burden of evidence lies with the editor wishing to add or retain the material. If an article topic has no reliable sources, should not have an article on it. Attribution is one of our two core content policies. The other is neutral point of view. Jointly, these policies determine the type and quality of material that is acceptable in articles; that is, content on this wiki must be attributable and written from a neutral point of view. Because the policies are complementary, they should not be interpreted in isolation from one another. Key principles Original Research Original research refers to material that is not attributable to a reliable, published source. This includes unpublished facts, arguments, ideas, statements, and s; and any unpublished analysis or synthesis of published material that appears to advance a position. Material added to articles must be directly and explicitly supported by the cited sources. Reliable sources Any in-universe articles must be based on official sources: e.g., books, novels, short stores, posts by the author, etc. For out-of-universe articles and behind the scenes material, the situation is more dubious. Generally, reliable sources are credible published materials with a reliable publication process; their authors are generally regarded as trustworthy or authoritative in relation to the subject at hand. As a rule of thumb, the more people engaged in checking facts, analyzing legal issues, and scrutinizing the writing, the more reliable the publication. How reliable a source is depends on context; what is reliable in one topic may not be in another. Definition What is original research? Material counts as original research if it: * introduces a theory, speculation, or any other original idea; * defines or introduces new terms ( ), or provides new definitions of existing terms; * introduces an argument without citing a reliable source who has made that argument in relation to the topic of the article; or * introduces an analysis or synthesis of published facts, opinions, or arguments without attributing that analysis or synthesis to a reliable source who has published the material in relation to the topic of the article. Note the difference between unsourced material and original research: *'Unsourced material' is material not yet attributed to a reliable source. *'Original research' is material that cannot be attributed to a reliable source. The only way to demonstrate that material is not original research is to cite reliable sources that provide information directly related to the topic of the article, and to adhere to what those sources say. What is not original research? Editors may make straightforward mathematical calculations or logical deductions based on fully attributed data that neither change the significance of the data nor require additional assumptions beyond what is in the source. It should be possible for any reader without specialist knowledge to understand the deductions.